Neco Celik
Encyclopedia
Neco Çelik is a Turkish-German filmmaker.
He was born in Berlin-Kreuzberg to Turkish immigrants. His father was a gardener, and his mother a domestic worker
. In his youth, before going into film directing and teaching media, Çelik belonged to a gang called 36 Boys
, corresponding to the postal address of Berlin
36 at the time. After making a fake documentary and two short films, he directed two feature films, Alltag
and Urban Guerillas, both earning Çelik international acclaim as Germany
’s young and upcoming Spike Lee
.
, he put on stage the Brechtian musical
Gazino Arabesk set in Kreuzberg and in which Turkish arabesk
songs were performed with German lyrics, and he was inspired by hip hop.
) tells the story of a tough neighborhood nicknamed "Little Istanbul" for its large Turkish immigrant population in Kreuzberg
, Berlin
. "Little Istanbul" is the neighborhood where Çelik himself grew up and is an area that was greatly influenced by all aspects of American hip hop culture. Çelik's work greatly reflects the gap between mainstream German culture and the culture of Kreuzberg. "In Alltag there is only one culture, the desperation-tinged youth culture of Kreuzberg itself, and while that may not exactly correspond to real life, it is Kreuzberg's separateness from the rest of Germany, and not the separateness of those who live within the district, that Mr. Çelik wanted to depict." Veit manages a small laundromat in the neighborhood. He has a sister who helps him out financially, a drug-addicted brother, a mentally ill mother, and a beautiful Turkish neighbor, Aliyah, who is engaged to a Turkish man. A deadly competition develops between Veit and Aliyahs fiancé, culminating in a brutal fight on a subway platform.
In 2007, he made Ganz oben. Türkisch – Deutsch – Erfolgreich, a documentary
for the TV network 3Sat
about the success stories of five Turks in Germany.
Çelik has stated his plans to adapt İlhan Uçkan's novel Magic of Love (Aşk Büyüsü) to film in August 2010.
is important because it depicted the realistic interaction between punk, alternative subcultures and the Gastarbeiter (guest workers invited to Germany in 1960s and 70s to help make up for post war labor shortage) in Germany. The film shows that these subcultures create identities that mix Turkish, German and African-American culture and sets an environment for the growth of Hip-hop in Germany.
The Turkish-German Kreuzberg
, the neighborhood that Çelik actually grew up in, is enthralled with sounds and styles of the U.S ghetto. Rap music, graffiti, breakdancing and gangs are all present in Kreuzberg
and Çelik's film is an depiction of U.S. influence on youth culture in Kreuzberg
.
He was born in Berlin-Kreuzberg to Turkish immigrants. His father was a gardener, and his mother a domestic worker
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
. In his youth, before going into film directing and teaching media, Çelik belonged to a gang called 36 Boys
36 Boys
The 36 Boys were a gang of primarily Turkish immigrants from Berlin-Kreuzberg.The gang was active from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s. Besides Turkish, other nationalities were also represented in the 300–400 members of the large gang...
, corresponding to the postal address of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
36 at the time. After making a fake documentary and two short films, he directed two feature films, Alltag
Alltag
Alltag, released in 2003 by Turkish-German director Neco Celik, is a film depicting life in the Turkish neighborhood of Kreuzberg. The film has particiular significance in the arena of Turkish-German hip-hop and hip-hop life in the neighborhood...
and Urban Guerillas, both earning Çelik international acclaim as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
’s young and upcoming Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
.
Theater
Çelik first staged Feridun Zaimoğlu's Black Virgins (Schwarze Jungfrauen in German) that tells the story of five Muslim women. In June 2009, at the "Almancı Festivali" in İstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, he put on stage the Brechtian musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Gazino Arabesk set in Kreuzberg and in which Turkish arabesk
Arabesque music
Arabesque or Arabesk is a genre termed so by Turkish musicologists for Arabic-style music created in Turkey. The genre was particularly popular in Turkey in the decades from the 1960s through 1990s. As with Arabic music itself, its aesthetics have evolved over the decades...
songs were performed with German lyrics, and he was inspired by hip hop.
Cinema
Everyday (AlltagAlltag
Alltag, released in 2003 by Turkish-German director Neco Celik, is a film depicting life in the Turkish neighborhood of Kreuzberg. The film has particiular significance in the arena of Turkish-German hip-hop and hip-hop life in the neighborhood...
) tells the story of a tough neighborhood nicknamed "Little Istanbul" for its large Turkish immigrant population in Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. "Little Istanbul" is the neighborhood where Çelik himself grew up and is an area that was greatly influenced by all aspects of American hip hop culture. Çelik's work greatly reflects the gap between mainstream German culture and the culture of Kreuzberg. "In Alltag there is only one culture, the desperation-tinged youth culture of Kreuzberg itself, and while that may not exactly correspond to real life, it is Kreuzberg's separateness from the rest of Germany, and not the separateness of those who live within the district, that Mr. Çelik wanted to depict." Veit manages a small laundromat in the neighborhood. He has a sister who helps him out financially, a drug-addicted brother, a mentally ill mother, and a beautiful Turkish neighbor, Aliyah, who is engaged to a Turkish man. A deadly competition develops between Veit and Aliyahs fiancé, culminating in a brutal fight on a subway platform.
In 2007, he made Ganz oben. Türkisch – Deutsch – Erfolgreich, a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
for the TV network 3Sat
3sat
3sat is the name of a public, advertising-free, television network in Central Europe. The programming is in German and is broadcast primarily within Germany, Austria and Switzerland .3sat was established for cultural...
about the success stories of five Turks in Germany.
Çelik has stated his plans to adapt İlhan Uçkan's novel Magic of Love (Aşk Büyüsü) to film in August 2010.
The film Alltag and Hip-hop Culture in Germany
AlltagAlltag
Alltag, released in 2003 by Turkish-German director Neco Celik, is a film depicting life in the Turkish neighborhood of Kreuzberg. The film has particiular significance in the arena of Turkish-German hip-hop and hip-hop life in the neighborhood...
is important because it depicted the realistic interaction between punk, alternative subcultures and the Gastarbeiter (guest workers invited to Germany in 1960s and 70s to help make up for post war labor shortage) in Germany. The film shows that these subcultures create identities that mix Turkish, German and African-American culture and sets an environment for the growth of Hip-hop in Germany.
The Turkish-German Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin...
, the neighborhood that Çelik actually grew up in, is enthralled with sounds and styles of the U.S ghetto. Rap music, graffiti, breakdancing and gangs are all present in Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin...
and Çelik's film is an depiction of U.S. influence on youth culture in Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg, a part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte since 2001, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin...
.
Filmography
- Naunynritze (Documentary, 1994)
- 36 QM Stoff (Anti-Drug Spot, 1997)
- 36 QM Stoff (Documentary, 1997)
- Hall of Blame (Short, 1998)
- Gettopump (Short, 1998)
- BerliNapoli (Documentary, 1999)
- Sitcom Teaser to Witches Cauldron (2000)
- AlltagAlltagAlltag, released in 2003 by Turkish-German director Neco Celik, is a film depicting life in the Turkish neighborhood of Kreuzberg. The film has particiular significance in the arena of Turkish-German hip-hop and hip-hop life in the neighborhood...
(Everyday, 2002) - Urban Guerillas (2003)